For many centuries, it was the tradition for the [[King of Númenor|Kings]] and [[Ruling Queen of Númenor|Queens]] of [[Númenor]] to take their names in the [[Quenya]] tongue. As the [[Númenóreans]] became estranged from the [[Elves]] and [[Valar]], this practice began to decline. The first sign of this was in the twenty-eighth century of the [[Second Age]], when the King was first known informally by a name in his native [[Adûnaic]] tongue: [[Ar-Belzagar]], though he officially maintained the [[High-elven]] form, [[Tar-Calmacil]]. This convention was continued by his son, whose [[Elvish]] name was [[Tar-Ardamin]], though he was known to his supporters as [[Ar-Abattârik]].

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#REDIRECT [[Ar-Adûnakhôr]]

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Tar-Ardamin's Heir took matters a stage further, when he actually took the [[Sceptre]] using his Adûnaic name, Ar-Adûnakhôr, the first time this had been done in [[Númenor]]'s history. This name, meaning '[[Lord of the West]]', traditionally referred to the Valar, and was considered by many to be blasphemous and ill-omened. So, despite Ar-Adûnakhôr's hatred of the Elvish tongues (he went so far as to ban their teaching) his name was still recorded in the [[Scroll of Kings]] in High-elven form: Tar-Herunúmen.